Automatic fire-lighter.



E. N. SWAN & A. BBIGHTOL.

' AUTOMATIC PIRE LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.18, 1912.

1,0483372, Patented De@.24,1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL N ORRIS SWAN AND ALTON BE-IGIITOL, OF SCOTIA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application filed March 18, 1912. Serial N0. 684,428.

To all whom tt may concern.'

Be it known that we, EARL N. SWAN and AL'roN Bnreirron, residing at Scotia, in the count-y of Humboldt and State of California, have invented a newl and Improved Auto# matic F ire-Lighter, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of appliances, especially designed for lighting the fuel in the tire chambers or boxes of ranges, stoves, fireplaces and the like, and it primarily has for its purpose to provide a. device of the general character stated, of a simple and economical construction, that can be easily applied to or removed from la stove, heater, fire-place or other place where a lighting device is needed.

Our invention comprises a carrier or support for holding a match or matches, a heat ing element in the nature of a holder for supporting the head of a match that forms a part of an electrical circuit and which, when the circuit is energized serves to ignite the match.

Our invention, in its more subordinate nature, embodies the peculiar construction and novel arrangement of parts, all of which will be hereinafter explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1, is a `perspective view that illus trates an operative arrangement of our invention. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of a portion of an ordinary range, with our improvement applied, the latter also being shown in section. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the match carrier, the wire connections between the asbestos plates being indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 4, is a cross section on the line 4--4 on Fig. 3.

Our lighting appliance is automatically operated through the instrumentality of an ordinary push button controlled electrical circuit, energized by the common type of batteries, and the said appliance comprises a body or carrier, composed of two non-combustible, (asbestos) plates l-l between which are clamped and concealed copper wire sections 2-2, one end of each of which joins with the binding posts 33, that also form bolts for clamping the plates 1-1 together. The other ends of the wire sections 2-2 join to other binding posts P-4 that also form clamping bolts for holding the plates 1-1 solidly upon each other, and in such a manner that the wires 2 2 are practically embedded between the asbestos members 1-1. Binding posts 3 3 connect with the terminals of a source of electric energy which may be a house circuit in which is located a push button 6 located at any desired point in the house, for example adjacent the bed, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, so that the fire, if desired, may be lighted by the occupant of the bed, without rising.

The match holder, the peculiar const-ruction of which forms an essential feature of our invention, consists of a heating member 7 or tip, in the nature of a very thin spring wire, preferably of German silver wire of 20 gage, or less, which connects with the binding posts 40 on the top of the carrier, by the clamp nuts 70. The tip member 7 is bent upon itself at one or more places to form U-shaped spring seats 71, for receiving the heads 80, of the parlor matches 8.

9 designates a yoke shape support for the stems 81 of the matches, and the same is made of a st-out German silver wire, the ends of which are bent into eyes 90, held embedded in the asbestos body by the clamp screws 10 and nuts 11. The cross bar of the arch member 9 is bent to form spring seats 92 to receive the ends of the match stems, as shown.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing, the advantages of, and the manner in which our invention is used will be readily apparent. By reason of mounting the match holder on an asbestos base and embedding the feed in sections 2-2 in the said base, the wires are protected from excessive heat. Further by mount-ing the match holding members in the manner shown and described the igniting tip of the wire member can be readily replaced by a new one should the same burnout. Again, the match holding body can be readily applied to any part of the fire-box, or open tire-place and can be as readily removed after the fire is started.

For supporting the body 1, it may have a hanger loop 19, as shown.

What we claim is:

1. In a irelighter, a match holder including a heating wire having means for holding the head of a match, a source of electric energy in circuit with the matchholding member and a make and break device in the said source of electric energy.

2. In a relighter, a support or body comprising a non-combustible body, a match holder mounted in the said body, said holdei` including a heating member having means for gripping the head of the match, a source of electric energy in circuit with the said heating member, and a push button control in the said source of electric energy.

3. In a lirelighter, a match holder, comprising a non-combustible body, composed of a pair of asbestos plates clamped together, a match holder mounted in the said body, said holder including a heating member having means for gripping the match head, a source of electrical energy, a switch control in said energy, the latter including feed wire sections connected with the ends of the heating member and embedded between the asbestos plates.

4. As a new article, a firelighter comprising a body consisting of two plates of noncombustible material, a pair of binding posts at each end, said post-s including members that clamp the two plates together, one set of the binding posts forming connections for joining the lighter with a source of electrical energy, feed wires embedded bet-Ween the two plates that connect with their respective opposite binding posts, a heating wire connection that joins with the other set of binding po-sts above the lighter body, said connection having a portion for receiving and gripping the head of a match, a support in the lighter body having a seat Jfor holding the other end of the match.

EARL NORRIS SWAN. ALTON BEIGI-ITOL. Witnesses:

T. I. ROWLAND, I. L. SWAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

